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1917 ANNUAL REPORT 



fruit. Interest has been created in this race, however, by the marked 

 hardiness shown, during the recent freeze, of several trees which with- 

 stood temperatures of 20° and proved to be as hardy as orange trees. The 

 hardiness, together with the excellent quality of the best Mexican varieties, 

 will doubtless result in a considerable planting, especially for home and 

 local use, in sections of the state too cold for the West Indian and Guate- 

 malan types. Harman is perhaps the most promising of the Mexican 

 varieties which have as yet fruited in Florida. It ripens at Miami in 

 July, and the fruit, while small, is excellent in quality. The tendency of 

 the fruit to crack and decay at the apex at maturity was noted here as in 

 California but to a much smaller degree. Chappelow has fruited for sev- 

 eral years at the home of Professor P. H. Rolfs, near Miami, but is very 

 poor in quality there, in contrast to the high quality reported in California. 



While most growers consider Mexican varieties too small for commer- 

 cial planting, many feel that it is quite probable that large fruiting vari- 

 eties combining desirable size with hardiness and high quality will even- 

 tually be found. A seedling Mexican tree at the Miami Station now 

 bears fruit of a pound in weight and of fine quality. While this tree is 

 unfortunately a shy bearer, it illustrates the possibilities of the type. 



Until the Guatemalan varieties are more thoroughly tested, commer- 

 cial plantings in Florida will consist largely of West Indian sorts. Most 

 growers will plant 75 per cent or more of their acreage to Trapp. Many 

 will plant a small part of their groves to the best summer varieties, as 

 these are already in excellent demand and doubtless have a great future 

 as an ideal hot weather food. In most groves a few each of the most 

 promising Guatemalan and new West Indian varieties will be planted 

 for testing. A heavy demand is anticipated in Florida for avocados for 

 home plantings. Even the more tender sorts can be grown in sheltered 

 dooryards with some weather protection as far north as their commercial 

 range, while the Mexican varieties can doubtless be grown throughout 

 the orange belt. 



Prospective Florida growers fully realize the importance of testing 

 most carefully the many varieties now on trial and selecting from each the 

 most desirable strains as well as eliminating all inferior types. To this 

 end, several of the leading nurserymen of the state are keeping careful 

 book records of the production and behavior of each individual tree in their 

 groves. Records of this sort will make it possible to determine accurately 

 and fully the comparative value of new varieties as well as strains within 

 these varieties. With their wide range of hardiness, season, quality, and 

 their future possibilities, avocado varieties offer a fascinating field for care- 

 ful horticultural study of this sort. 



HISTORY OF THE SHARPLESS AND THE MONROE 

 AVOCADOS, AND MY OBSERVATIONS AND 

 EXPERIENCES IN PROPAGATING THE SAME 



By B. H. Sharpless, Santa Ana, CaHfornia 



According to the best information we can gather on the subject, 

 the avocado tree, cataloged as the Sharpless avocado, is a seedling, set 

 out in the year 1901 by David Gockley. Mr. Gockley having died 

 before the tree came into prominence, we have been unable to learn defin- 



